Plan B: Do You Have One or Think You Need One?
What do Twitter, Slack, Avon, YouTube, and Play-Doh have in common? They all started off as something totally different from the successful business than they are today. So, everybody had a Plan B and used it to make the best of a bad situation. Wrong! They were all caught by surprise and had to think very fast. Plan A wasn’t going to work. Sometimes unexpected adversity turns out to be rocket fuel rather than an anchor.
Dan Light
New Relief Efforts for Local Business
Fauquier County announced today that it is adding a new grant program to complement the Emergency Relief Micro Loans already in place to support local businesses during the COVID-19 crisis. Funded by the Fauquier County Economic Development Authority, the new grants can provide up to $2,500 to Micro and Small Businesses anywhere in the County to help them hold on, adapt and survive the current economic downturn.
Miles Friedman
Fauquier County Emergency Micro Loans Available Now
The Fauquier Micro Loan Program has been revamped to serve as an emergency loan program for small businesses in the County in response to the COVID-19 crisis. This fund is now targeted to putting needed resources into the hands of our entrepreneurs swiftly and with a minimum of red tape. It can accommodate adaptive actions that help firms remain solvent and could also supplement the ongoing costs of doing business until other resources become available.
Miles Friedman
Alternative Funding: Beyond the SBA
Here are some alternative funding/assistance sources for small business owners, as shared by the Program Director of the Bank of America Institute for Women's Entrepreneurship at Cornell. Please feel free to share this information with anyone who may find it helpful.
Michelle Coe
Shop Small Fauquier - COVID-19 Response
We designed a total of 9 new shop small business directory websites to help encourage people to continue to shop small and local before hitting larger retailers for the times or services they are in need of. We then decided to expand it to all the other surrounding counties around Fauquier. Each county site allows viewers to search for companies listed by name, business category, keyword, product, service, COVID-19 provision (such as curbside service, online shopping, delivery, takeout etc).
Matthew Demaree
The Power of Unscheduled Opportunities
Let's face it, many of us are struggling with a certain amount of fear right now and what may look like an impossible situation. We may be expressing our fear outwardly or it may be lurching around in our subconscious ready to pounce at any moment. But some people let themselves become crippled by fear...unable to think clearly, take action, move forward or find comfort. If you are going to lead your team through challenges, you must first lead yourself.
Cindy Legg
COVID-19 Update: Fauquier County Department of Economic Development
Rest assured that our Department, our Enterprise Centers, our colleagues in the other agencies and our partner groups in the community, are working hard to support and buoy the spirits of our wonderful business community. This is a Summary of what we at Economic Development, with a great deal of help from other county agencies, are doing to help Fauquier County businesses address the challenges posed by the virus situation.
Miles Friedman
EIDL Loans, EIDL Grant, and other Options
We care about you during the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 crisis. We are monitoring the legislative changes and analyzing them with respect to their impact on you and your organizations. The SBA is working on guidelines to administer these new programs. As soon as we have more information we will share.
Christine Kriz
Updated 3/31/2020: Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act
Amelia J. Stansell
Beyond the COVID-19 Crisis
The internet has an ample supply of “experts” who are writing articles, publishing books and handing out tips on what you should do to get your business through this unprecedented business climate. I make no claims on being an expert on what to do to get through this. I am only going to share with you what I am doing.
Gary Grenter
